Transportation is big business in the United States.  Almost $90 billion of federal, state and local funds will be invested in the highway program this year.  This may be bad news for America's communities and countryside if thousands of miles of scenic, historic and environmentally sensitive roads are widened, straightened and flattened beyond recognition; or if opportunities are lost to promote pedestrian and bike friendly communities.

Fortunately, the movement for reform in road design is underway and a growing number of far-sighted highway engineers are promoting a new way of thinking.  Both ISTEA and the National Highway System legislation of 1995 adopted language that sets the stage for context-sensitive design (also known as "flexible" or "place-sensitive" design).

In 1997, FHWA published Flexibility in Highway Design, an invaluable book of case studies that respect the natural and constructed environments.  The Maryland State Highway Administration, AASHTO, FHWA, along with 30 other groups including Scenic America, sponsored the highly successful "Thinking Beyond the Pavement" conference in May, 1998.  Five states -- KY, MN, CT, UT and MD -- are conducting pilot training programs for highway engineers in context-sensitive design.  Both CT and VT have adopted new design standards which are far more sensitive to the character of those states.  And, in 1999, the CA legislature passed legislation that would reexamine the state's road design practices (though Gov. Gray Davis vetoed the bill along with all others that came with associated costs but with no authorizations for expenditures).  So things are moving in the right direction, but slowly....

.... much too slowly. 

In spite of all the talk about customer service and public involvement, few states fully include the public in the design process, have adopted context-sensitive design guidelines, or are retraining state and county highway engineers.  Even as the public demands closer linkage of transportation and land use issues through "smart growth" policies, many departments of transportation still resist the growing demand for context-sensitive highway design.

However, there is hope, as citizens can advocate for context-sensitive design through their state legislatures. The first step is to learn more about context sensitive solutions.